Author: Hafiz Noor Shams

For more about me, please read this.

Categories
Politics & government

[1786] Of Teresa Kok might as well eat dog food

The United States received tremendous sympathy after the September 11 attack. Yet, not too long after that, the US squandered all the goodwill it enjoyed at a dramatic rate. Teresa Kok is fast repeating that pattern.

These days, it seems the fastest way to gain credibility is to be arrested under the anti-liberty ISA. Once the person is put into the cell under the act, one can be sure of gaining hero status among the civil liberty-conscious members of the society.

Ms. Kok is one of those heroes. Or at this rate, was.

Her first mistake was at a press conference where she claimed to be served with something similar to dog food while under a week-long detention.[0] It was clearly a hyperbole to demonstrate the quality of the food she had to suffer[1] but in politics, especially in the extraordinary environment Malaysia is in, one plays with hyperbole at his or her own peril.

Immediately the government set to investigate the matter, taking the matter too seriously that hilarity ensued.[2] And this comedy, unfortunately for Ms. Kok, is unraveling at her expense.

Utusan Malaysia, the daily which published an article which helped sent Ms. Kok into the altar of heroes, reported Ms. Kok’s hyperbole in a very literal manner.[3] That got Ms. Kok doubly upset.

If V.K. Lingam’s slogan is “looks like me, sounds like me”, then Ms. Kok’s rallying call for the next election could possibly be “looks like dog food, tastes like dog food”.

In response to that literal report, Ms. Kok made a u-turn to her earlier statement, saying that she did not say she was served with something similar to dog food but rather, she was served with something slightly better than dog food. The UMNO-connected TV3 handled the matter in the most elegant way: they aired Ms. Kok’s second statement and then air that statement with the first statement she made earlier.

That juxtaposition does not look good for Ms. Kok because Ms. Kok said exactly as Utusan reported.

At this juncture, odd as it sounds, Ms. Kok should really apologize for the hyperbole she committed before this balloons into a larger comedy which could take Ms. Kok out of the picture if indeed Pakatan Rakyat is forming a new federal government soon.

The second mistake which she committed is arrogance.

In an interview with Guang Ming Daily, she had the audacity to say that “she would then become their boss”, if Pakatan Rakyat rose to power to her interrogators.[4] Not only it was arrogant of her to say a such thing and then made it public, the arrogance is very much premature, even if Pakatan Rakyat is really set for Putrajaya. More menacingly, the idea that Ms. Kok would make a public institution as her private playground does not differentiate Ms. Kok from the incumbent government.

Ms. Kok may do well to stop all the nonsense and concentrate on abolishing the ISA instead. This is an issue larger than her, or dog food. It is the ISA which should be at the center stage and not dog food.

The manner at which the issue is being played out at the moment, it only shows the shallowness of those involved, including Ms. Kok. Worse for Ms. Kok, she is on track to trivialize herself by making “dog food” the highlight of her experience, handing victory to the other side.

Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams. Some rights reserved Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams. Some rights reserved Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams. Some rights reserved

[0] — “The food was similar to dog food, there was one day that I was only given two hard-boiled eggs with gravy and cucumber for my lunch and dinner,”. [Teresa Kok. Accessed September 2008]

[1] — IPOH: Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Senator T. Murugiah was aghast when told yesterday that suspects in police lock-ups were only allocated RM5.80 a day for meals. [RM5.80 for food in lock-ups ‘unreasonable’ . New Straits Times. September 22 2008]

[2] — KLANG: The government will conduct a serious investigation into claims by Seputeh MP Teresa Kok that she was served food that was ”almost like dog food” while detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA). [Govt to investigate Teresa Kok’s ”˜dog food’ claim. Dharmender Singh. The Star. September 22 2008]

[3] — KUALA LUMPUR 21 Sept. – Dakwaan Ahli Parlimen Seputeh, Teresa Kok kononnya makanan yang diberikan kepadanya semasa ditahan di bawah Akta Keselamatan Dalam Negeri (ISA) sama seperti makanan anjing adalah merupakan dakwaan yang tidak benar dan keterlaluan. [Makanan anjing: Bekas tahanan ISA sangkal Teresa Kok. Utusan Malaysia. September 22 2008]

[4] — (Teresa later said she even told the investigating officer that she was sleeping and eating well, and would take care of herself properly. She added that if the Pakatan successfully seizes power, she would then become their boss! She said the officer was dumbfounded upon hearing this.) [Teresa Kok: Not in vain. Dominic Loh. Sinchew. September 22 2008]

Categories
Humor Politics & government

[1785] Of Wolfowitz goes off the chart!

Too funny not to post:

[youtube]_xJF3vabmfs[/youtube]

Hitler is Wolfowitz, the mastermind behind Malaysian politics, the architect of Pakatan Rakyat.

Categories
Politics & government

[1784] Of the process that entails defection

Far too many people are debating the morality of the political defection as advocated by the Pakatan Rakyat. Relentless debates have made the matter clear. The question of who is standing on which side is also easily answerable. The less talked about however is the process that entails the political defection.

How exactly power would change after defection has not been answered in a satisfactorily manner.

That changed today with an article by Malik Imtiaz Sarwar.

He lays six points which need consideration.

First is the requirement for the Prime Minister to command the majority confidence of the Dewan Rakyat.

Second is the two options which the “Prime Minister who no longer commands the confidence of the majority” has: a fresh election or resignation.

Thirdly is the way, or really the lack of rule or precedent, in gauging how much confidence the Prime Minister commands. A vote of confidence is not the only option and the government could resort to filibustering. Also noted is the power of the Agong in resolving the crisis of confidence.

The fourth addresses a situation where the Agong demands a vote of confidence and the responsibility of the Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat to execute the demand.

The fifth point relates to a situation where there is a need to call for a vote but yet, the Parliament is not in session or in sitting. How the Parliament is to be summoned is the central problem, especially so when while the Agong can demand it, the summoning itself is dependent on the advice of the Prime Minister. Without the advice, there can be no sitting and hence, no voting. Malik Imtiaz Sarwar however questions this and opines that the Agong’s responsibility is to ensure that the Prime Minister is he whom commands the confidence of the House while the Speaker is answerable to the Agong.

Sixth is the possibility of the Agong skipping the whole process of voting and simply appoint a new Prime Minister which commands the confidence of the majority.

He ends his thought by, I think, referring to a case which I have pointed out earlier.

On my end, while I am supportive of the defection, I demand that it follows the process which has been laid out. I personally believe that the process is reasonable and rights of those affected by the process must be respected. Adherence to the process is essential if we are sincerely interested in orderly transfer of power.

Categories
Education Liberty Personal Society

[1783] Of breaking free from a cursed shackle

I experienced a tremendous surge of security today and I have not felt such feeling in such a long time. The only regret I have is that I did not set a higher target for myself. I might have set a goal too low for myself. Ever since graduation a few years ago from Ann Arbor, life has consistently tried to bring me down and the toll it took on my confidence was breaking me. My self-esteem suffered but after a few rallying personal events, I am on my way back up.

I am happy because I am overcoming the shadow of my former self. I am winning against myself.

I have secured my path into the future. That path was in the state of flux previously and I really did not know what I wanted in life. There were too many unknowns to think of, too many factors to consider, too many calculations required. Too many a time, I found myself staring blankly outside to see everything but see nothing.

Now, however, now, the path forward is as clear as daylight and all I need to do now is walk down the lane and never to look back. I have earned a place for a post-graduate work abroad.

If everything goes well for the next few months, I should be out of this country again. The only issue that may pull me back is matter of finance. A back-of-the-envelope suggests I need to raise approximately RM100,000 in the next few months to live comfortably, on top of whatever savings that I have at the moment. Despite the my training, I was surprised of the requirement for additional fund. I had budgeted that I would be able to fund myself through this journey. As it turned out, I have not considered my whole expected expenses in a comprehensive manner. That is my only fear.

Despite concerning regarding the additional money which I need to raise, the fact that I am able to depend on my ability through and through thrills me. It thrills me because this is the chance for me to escape from one criticism which I think is unfair and I extremely deplore.

In A Malaysian Journey, Rehman Rashid writes something to the effect that the Malays are cursed of not knowing whether he had succeed because of his ability or because of affirmative action. My personal experience has taught me the truth of those words. Given my unfriendly position with respect to the flawed affirmative action in Malaysia, my critics have used that very same idea raised by Rehman Rashid against me.

I went to the Malay College and I attended the University of Michigan. While Michigan accepted me based on merit, it is really hard to say if the government scholarship which I received to go to Michigan as well as the somewhat subsidized education which I was obtained at the Malay College was on merit or simply because of the affirmative action. I therefore grappled to answer criticism against my position to the affirmative action.

I cannot live with that. Only the stars know how much I want to silent my critics and a spot in a post-graduate program gives me the chance to do everything on my own, the personal responsibility which I am undertaking, provides everything that I need.  It provides me the hammer for me to use to break free from that curse, once and for all, and more.

I earned my time to bask in the sun and nobody, nobody, can rob me of this. I am now free in one more aspect of my life.

Categories
Politics & government

[1782] Of clowns and doomsayers

Were we in a crisis? Were race relations as bad as the Prime Minister had implied? Did the specter of May 13 loom just beyond the horizon?

I find myself at the top of a hill and ahead I see only green fields as far as the eyes could see. The sky is blue and the breeze is soft. There wais s no wolf and the sheep are safely grazing.

Yet, behind me there is a commotion of the grandest scale. On their soapboxes, the doomsayers preached of an impending disaster that may tear down the towers which we have built. Amid the sordid apocalyptic tales, the doomsayers offered a panacea so conveniently held in their possession. Only they could save us all from the Leviathan.

“To me, to me, rally to me”, they shouted so rude and loudly. The future, according to them, would be haplessly bleak. Dare I ask why?

There beyond is an open plain and an open sky for all. Never was a day tailored so perfectly for victory and there is no better day than today to reach for the sky. It’s perfect and if we miss it now, the next time this moment comes again, we will be laying on our beds waiting for the end to our miserably lives. As the inevitability of death comes upon us, we will look back and wonder why we did not take the leap.

That will not be my fate. My fear of that worthless fate is greater than the stories spewed by the doomsayers. I fear not of the bogeyman outside my window and I fear not the monster under my bed. This is because there are none to fear.

Only fear is holding me — and us — back.

The doomsayers have nothing for us but this illusion of fear. Of disorder. Of death.

The fear, however, is theirs alone and not ours.

They need us to alleviate their fear. They need us to cower in the cold rain so they can live immorally in the warmth.

They want us to bend over and satisfy them. They take pleasure in doing so. We believed them once too many times, holding on to our false prophets’ promises.

No more. No more. Enough seeds of lies have been sowed and enough have been reaped. It is time to till the land, weed out the lies and begin anew for we know they need us and we know we do not need them.

All we need to do is to march forth and leave them behind on their rotten soapboxes half eaten by termites. Leave them be with their foolish blabbering but we shall march forth.

There are only limitless possibilities for us to explore. Or were.

Crisis only hit us when they imposed their crisis on us. Who was it that started shouting, ”Fire!” first?

Why has suddenly trouble in their own camps translated into our trouble?

How did the problematic internal relationship between parties within the Barisan Nasional translate into our problem?

The fate of the Barisan Nasional and the fate of Malaysia should never be the same. The fate of Malaysia must be independent of any political party, be it the Barisan Nasional, Pakatan Rakyat or any other. The fate of the country is far too important to be tied to a political party. For this reason alone, it is crucial to weed out any political party that embeds itself into the state.

Any conflation between the two fates requires urgent erasure and correction. Even the blind differentiate the day from night and why should there be a conflation?

There was a moment of cognitive dissonance for me when a mainstream newspaper paraphrased the Prime Minister: “Race relations not at healthy level.”

Dazed, my question was whose relations, really, are at an unhealthy level here?

I find it hard to believe such statements when I have no problems talking to friends of different backgrounds. I look around and I see no opportunity for a spontaneous riot to take place. People are sharing jokes and laughing and even going as far as ignoring the dull political clowns of this huge distasteful circus.

When the Prime Minister has so little credibility left in him, I prefer to trust my own faculties instead, and my faculties tell me that it is not relations between various races in Malaysia which are at stake. On the contrary, it is the relations between race-based parties of the Barisan Nasional instead. This whole fiasco began in the Barisan Nasional and the adverse effects are shaking its very foundations.

The clowns in the circus were too excited and cracked the tall pillars supporting their tent. When the tent threatened to come down, they wanted us to pay for the repair.

But why should we pay for it?

Let the clowns pay from their own pockets. Unable to humor us with their woefully inadequate sick jokes, they switched their profession and assumed the role of doomsayers, trying to impress upon others that their problem was ours too.

Sick and tired of these old clowns and doomsayers, I turned to Facebook to relieve myself from the filthy lies they tell incessantly. There, one of the status updates: it is high time the insecurities of our politicians be decoupled from the security of the country.

I have had enough of clowns and doomsayers. The green plain awaits me. And you too if you care to join me.

Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams. Some rights reserved Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams. Some rights reserved Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams. Some rights reserved

A version of this article was published in The Malaysian Insider.